Bobby McFerrin Battling Parkinson’s Disease: “Don’t Worry, Be Healthy”

Bobby McFerrin is not only a human music-making machine, he’s also a 10-time Grammy Award winner, best known for his smash laid-back  hit, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.”  The song caught the attention of the entire country in the last 1980’s with McFerrin using his voice and parts of his body as “instruments” for the entire song.

McFerrin often performs both the main melody and the accompanying parts of songs. He makes use of percussive effects created both with his mouth and by tapping on his chest. He’s also well-versed in scat singing, polyphonic overtone singing, and improvisational vocal percussion.

McFerrin’s song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” was a No. 1 U.S. pop hit in 1988 and won Song of the Year and Record of the Year honors at the 1989 Grammy Awards. McFerrin has also worked in collaboration with instrumentalists, including pianists Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, and Joe Zawinul, drummer Tony Williams, and cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

Behind his incredible smile is a man who is battling a debilating disease, Parkinson’s Disease.

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder that affects the nervous system and the parts of the body controlled by the nerves. Symptoms start slowly. The first symptom may be a barely noticeable tremor in just one hand. Tremors are common, but the disorder may also cause stiffness or slowing of movement.

In the early stages of Parkinson’s disease, your face may show little or no expression. Your arms may not swing when you walk. Your speech may become soft or slurred. Parkinson’s disease symptoms worsen as your condition progresses over time.

Although Parkinson’s disease can’t be cured, medications might significantly improve your symptoms.

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Symptoms

Parkinson’s disease symptoms can be different for everyone. Early symptoms may be mild and go unnoticed. Symptoms often begin on one side of the body and usually remain worse on that side, even after symptoms begin to affect the limbs on both sides.

Parkinson’s symptoms may include:

• Tremor. Rhythmic shaking, called tremor, usually begins in a limb, often your hand or fingers. You may rub your thumb and forefinger back and forth. This is known as a pill-rolling tremor. Your hand may tremble when it’s at rest. The shaking may decrease when you are performing tasks.
• Slowed movement, known as bradykinesia. Over time, Parkinson’s disease may slow your movement, making simple tasks difficult and time-consuming. Your steps may become shorter when you walk. It may be difficult to get out of a chair. You may drag or shuffle your feet as you try to walk.
• Rigid muscles. Muscle stiffness may occur in any part of your body. The stiff muscles can be painful and limit your range of motion. Impaired posture and balance. Your posture may become stooped. Or you may fall or have balance problems as a result of Parkinson’s disease.
• Loss of automatic movements. You may have a decreased ability to perform unconscious movements, including blinking, smiling or swinging your arms when you walk.
• Speech changes. You may speak softly or quickly, slur, or hesitate before talking. Your speech may be more of a monotone rather than have the usual speech patterns.
• Writing changes. It may become hard to write, and your writing may appear small.

Bobby has been performing music all his life, it’s literally been a comfort for him.  In fact, he believes that music itself is healing.

“When I was a kid, my mother took music [as a healer] literally,” McFerrin explained. “When we got sick, she’d put us to bed and put music on to make us feel better. Even now, if I’m getting ready for a concert and I have a headache or I’m worried about something, I can usually sing my way through it. When I come off stage, I feel better.”

“From a psychological evaluation, we found that classical music tends to cause comfort. This is because the sympathetic nerve is suppressed by the sound of classical music,” noted Dr. Umemura Honda, in a medical journal article entitled, “Influence of music on heart rate variability and comfort — a consideration through comparison of music and noise”.

Music also was found to reduce stress in patients undergoing cerebral angiography. In a study of 30 patients, two doctors…

… from Hannover Medical School’s Department of Neuroradiology monitored stress hormones, blood pressure and heart beat. They found that the patients who were not exposed to music “showed rising levels of cortisol in their blood, indicating high stress levels, while cortisol in patients examined with music remained stable. Blood pressure was significantly lower listening to music.”

McFerrin still performs and tours as a musician, songwriter, conductor, arranger and producer in front of sold-out audiences all over the world.

For more information on alternative medicine methods like music, click here.